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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: court · capital · spell · bank · fine · track · net · charge

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. charge — in control
  3. net — for catching
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bank — of a river
  6. court — of law
  7. charge — electricity
  8. track — a song
  9. court — for sport
  10. spell — a short time
  11. fine — high quality
  12. capital — a city
  13. bank — for money
  14. charge — a price
  15. track — a path
  16. spell — letters
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bank — for money
  20. net — after costs
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. spell — magic
  24. net — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com